ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the protection of cultural heritage in Greece from a legal point of view. It presents the principles that justify the protection of cultural heritage in general, and subsequently concentrates on the choices underlying the recently established legal framework for the protection of antiquities and cultural heritage in Greece. The following arguments have been proposed in support of the protection of the cultural heritage by the state: the cultural heritage encapsulates, materializes and preserves the experience and historical memory of the national community; the cultural heritage is an essential part of human striving toward improvement and perfection; and the cultural heritage contributes to the improvement of the conditions of a person's autonomy. The chapter examines recent law concerning the protection of cultural heritage and antiquities. According to the Constitution of Greece, article 24, para. 1, the protection of the natural and cultural environment constitutes simultaneously an obligation of the state and the right of each person.
